What is the state of democracy today? Is democracy able and prepared to respond to global issues such as global warming? What is the role of citizens in facilitating the response by governments and other political actors? Is political violence compatible with democracy? At which level – local, national or transnational – are mobilisations most effective? How are new technologies impacting democratic participation?

These all-important questions are addressed in our interview with leading scholar of democracy Pierre Rosanvallon, Professor at the Collège de France. To open up a conversation across languages and approaches, we have translated the interview to make it available with English subtitles. We published one subtitled sequence per week between mid-November and mid-December, alongside specific commentaries from the Centre’s interdisciplinary research team.

The original interview was conducted in French by IHEID alumnus Alexandre Lercher at the Collège de France in the context of the 2020 Geneva Democracy Week. The Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy is actively involved in this initiative promoted every year by the Geneva Chancellery of State. This year’s theme was “Democracy and alter-democracy.”

Pierre Rosanvallon, who coined the term “counter-democracy” (often used to refer to “alter-democracy”), explains that the term is “a little provocative”: “what counter-democracy means is that democracy isn’t just defined by its institutions, democracy isn’t just defined by voting, it is also defined by the role of the citizen.” For climate policies to be enacted, the “role of citizen oversight and pressure is absolutely decisive”. Professor Rosanvallon stresses it is essential citizens not simply follow climate politics but engage with them actively and critically: they must “experiment and generate expertise and keep an eye on the authorities.” Rising levels of political violence across the world, he continues, are however a sign of ‘democratic malaise’.

Each interview sequence was commented upon by members of our research team.

On the first interview segment, Junior Visiting Fellow Laura Bullon-Cassis and Research Assistant and Anthropology and Sociology Department PhD Candidate Livio Silva-Muller discussed democratic oversight and climate action. Read their commentary on the first thematic sequence of the interview HERE.

On the second interview segment, Postdoctoral Researcher Lipin Ram and Research Assistant and International Law PhD Candidate Juliana Santos de Carvalho have contributed with commentaries relating political violence and democratic practices. Read their commentary and watch the second sequence of Professor Rosanvallon’s interview HERE.

On the third interview segment, AHCD Senior Researcher and Executive Director Christine Lutringer and Research Fellow Yanina Welp have commented on the links between local and transnational governance, and democracy. Read their commentary and watch the third sequence of Professor Rosanvallon’s interview HERE.

On the fourth interview segment, Rebecca Tapscott, Ambizione Research Fellow, and Danishwara Nathaniel, PhD Researcher, highlighted the role of gender, diversity, and representation in democratic practices. Read their commentary and watch the fourth sequence of Professor Rosanvallon’s interview HERE.

On the fifth interview segment, Research Associate Jérôme Duberry and Research Assistant Sophia Mo discuss the impact of social media platforms and new technologies on democratic participation. Read their commentary and watch the fifth sequence of Professor Rosanvallon’s interview here.